The Fremantle Declaration was a restatement and affirmation of legal and human rights principles in Australia. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. It was signed in Fremantle, Western Australia by all of the Attorneys-General of all the Australian States and territories on November 10, 2006. Fremantle (commonly known as Freo is a Port City in Western Australia, located southwest of Perth, the state capital at the mouth of Western Australia is a state occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. In most Common law jurisdictions the Attorney General, or Attorney-General, is the main legal advisor to the government and in some jurisdictions may in addition The Commonwealth of Australia is made up of 8 states and territories controlled under a federal system of government It was not signed by the Commonwealth Attorney-General Philip Ruddock. The Attorney-General of Australia is the first law officer of the Crown chief law officer of the Commonwealth of Australia and a Minister of the Crown. Philip Maxwell Ruddock (born March 12, 1943) is an Australian politician who served in various ministries in the Coalition Government of former Australian
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The text of the declaration
The full text of the declaration is:
We, the Attorneys General of the governments of Australia, declare and affirm our commitment to the following principles:
These are fundamental norms of the Australian legal system and we, as Attorneys General, are responsible for ensuring that these principles are upheld in our jurisdictions. Australia has signed and committed to international treaties and conventions in which these rights are protected: the Geneva Conventions, the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, and the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. We reaffirm our commitment to these international agreements and principles.
- the right to a fair trial;
- the principle of habeas corpus;
- the prohibition on indefinite detention without trial;
- the prohibition on torture;
- access to rights under the Geneva Conventions;
- the separation of powers; and
- the prohibition on the death penalty. The right to fair trial is an essential right in all countries respecting the Rule of law. Habeas corpus (ˈheɪbiəs ˈkɔɹpəs ( Latin: command that you have the body is the name of a legal action or Writ, through which a person can seek relief Torture, according to the United Nations Convention Against Torture, is "any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental is intentionally The Geneva Conventions consist of four Treaties formulated in Geneva, Switzerland, that set the standards for International law for humanitarian Separation of powers, a term ascribed to French Enlightenment Political philosopher Baron de Montesquieu, is a model for the Governance Capital punishment, the death penalty or execution, is the Killing of a person by judicial process as Punishment.
Signatories
The Fremantle Declaration was signed by Bob Debus, the Attorney-General of New South Wales, Simon Corbell, the Attorney-General of the Australian Capital Territory, Rob Hulls, the Attorney-General of Victoria, Kerry Shine, the Attorney-General of Queensland, Michael Atkinson, the Attorney-General of South Australia, Steven Kons, the Attorney-General of Tasmania, Jim McGinty, the Attorney-General of Western Australia, and Syd Stirling, the Attorney-General of the Northern Territory. Robert John "Bob" Debus (born 16 September 1943) is an Australian Labor politician Simon Corbell is an Australian Politician in the Australian Capital Territory, and is one of the seven members of the Legislative Assembly electorate } The Australian Capital Territory (ACT is the Capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and its smallest self-governing internal territory Hon Robert Justin Hulls (born January 23, 1957) is the Deputy Premier of Victoria. Kerry Gerard Shine (born 5 October 1948) is the Australian Labor Party representative of the seat of Toowoomba North in the Queensland Legislative Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern corner of the mainland continent Michael Atkinson, Australian Politician, is the current South Australian Attorney-General, Justice Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Minister South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country Tasmania is an Australian island and state of the same name It is located south of the eastern side of the Continent, being separated from it by Bass James Andrew "Jim" McGinty (born 22 September, 1949) is an Australian politician The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the center of the mainland continent as well as the central northern regions
The Commonwealth Attorney-General, Philip Ruddock, was not a signatory of the declaration. Philip Maxwell Ruddock (born March 12, 1943) is an Australian politician who served in various ministries in the Coalition Government of former Australian
Genesis of the declaration
Although the declaration itself does not make any explicit reference to current events, it is generally recognised as a response to the extended incarceration, without trial, of Australian David Matthew Hicks by the United States military at Guantanamo Bay, and the detention of refugees to Australia under the policies of the Commonwealth Government led by Australian Prime Minister John Howard. David Matthew Hicks (born 7 August 1975 is an Australian who undertook combat training in Al Qaeda -linked camps and served with the ruling Taliban The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A military is an Organization authorized by its Nation to use force usually including use of Weapons in defending its Country (or by attacking The Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp is a controversial United States Detention center operated by Joint Task Force Guantanamo since 2002 in Guantanamo This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. See also Howard Government John Winston Howard AC (born 26 July 1939 was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia from 11 March